Navies copied established operating procedures as well as hardware. Royal Navy port visits offered examples of diplomatic rules, the order of proceedings, and the practical handling of an overseas visit. Reusing those arrangements saved officers from negotiating every detail from scratch. A navy visiting somewhere for the first time could still adapt an established method to the new setting. German study of British torpedo boats followed the same logic of learning from earlier experience and mistakes.
Notable Point · 5:55-8:23
Why navies copied Royal Navy port-visit procedures
Port-visit protocols illustrate why a navy could borrow British practice for practical reasons while adapting it to its own needs.